Category Archives: Gamification

Some time ago I loaded Waze, a social GPS application, on my Android device. (See my review of my HTC EVO 4G LTE on YouTube). The purpose of Waze is to leverage other users in your area to help with real-time traffic updates and reporting.

I was curious how well the turn-by-turn performed coupled with rerouting based on traffic conditions as reported by the other users.

Waze allows you to set a home and work destination and will begin to learn your normal route and times helping build a table of when traffic is slow and you should investigate alternatives.

What I did appreciate is how Waze reported delays in my path, including police presence an offered on the fly rerouting abilities. The more users in your area with the application running, the better the traffic results of course.

Waze also included a gamification capability for Wazers (their term) with points for using the application, reporting police, obstacles, accidents and hazards. Facebook can be connected to help you find other Waze users and optional profile fields give you some rudimentary options. The more points you earn the options you have for you car on the map that shows to other users. They are creative in gamification. Privacy was not an issue as you are able to show yourself on the map or be invisible with a bunch more options in your profile.

Waze also allows you to update the map for road changes helping other drivers when construction moves something or a closing take place. This was interesting to see how drivers became the update source instead of relying on Google Maps or other engines to update.

Later I found groups when using the application. This allows you to create or join groups based on areas you drive to and from, events and more. By grouping you get better feedback of road conditions of those that take the same roads you do.

Apple has chosen TomTom and Waze to help update it’s new map app, relying more on TomTom according to numerouspublished reports.

You can get Waze and become a Wazer on iOS, Android, some BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and even Nokia. Over 20 million have already downloaded the app globally.